In order to provide a solid oxide fuel cell at a low cost, it has been proposed that a support is prepared from a sintered compact made of forsterite (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-93241). Additionally, JP-A 2005-93241 discloses that since forsterite has a similar thermal expansion coefficient to that of the electrolyte, this makes it possible to prevent cracks and gas leakage in the fuel cell.